Theatre Thursdays Offer World Premiere Productions And Exclusive Access to Artists.

League of Chicago Theatres Announces

Theatre Thursdays Series for 2016-2017 Season

Series Includes Carroll Gardens (16^th Street Theater), A Life Extra Ordinary (The Gift Theatre),

Cinderella at the Theater of Potatoes (The Hypocrites),

The Rip Nelson Holiday Spectacular (Hell in a Handbag Productions),

Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth (Lookingglass Theatre Company),

The Wolf at the End of the Block (Teatro Vista), The Snare (Jackalope Theatre Company),

Linda Vista (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), and Relativity (Northlight Theatre)

The League of Chicago Theatres announces the Theatre Thursdays line-up for the 2016-2017 Chicago theatre season including world premiere productions of Carroll Gardens (16th Street Theater), A Life Extra Ordinary (The Gift Theatre), Cinderella at the Theater of Potatoes (The Hypocrites), The Rip Nelson Holiday Spectacular (Hell in a Handbag Productions), Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth (Lookingglass Theatre Company), The Wolf at the End of the Block (Teatro Vista), The Snare (Jackalope Theatre Company), Linda Vista (Steppenwolf Theatre Company), and Relativity (Northlight Theatre).  Additional information for each event is available at http://bit.ly/theatrethursdays.

The Theatre Thursdays initiative, first launched in 2005, strengthens and diversifies the Chicago theatre community by encouraging Chicagoans to explore new venues and companies. Last season, the League revamped the program to focus on new work with twelve Theatre Thursday events, one per month. Each monthly event provides audiences with a world premiere production and an inside look at the creative process behind new works, including exclusive access to artists.

The 2016-2017 series includes:

Thursday, September 22

CARROLL GARDENS

Written by A. Zell Williams

Directed by Ann Filmer

16^th Street Theater at the Berwyn Cultural Center, 6420 16^th Street in Berwyn

Event begins at 6:30 pm, Show begins at 7:30 pm

Tickets $18 at http://boxoffice.printtixusa.com/16thstreet/eventcalendar with promo code: THRTHURS

Join 16th Street Theater for a world-premiere of A. Zell Williams's comedy, Carroll Gardens. Theatre Thursday guests are invited to a pre-show beer tasting courtesy of Oak Park's Kinslahger Brewing Company at 6:30pm. Stay after the show for a conversation with director Ann Filmer and the cast.

Davis and Robby were childhood friends. But that was a long time ago. Now Davis lives in Brooklyn which is a long way from Stockton, CA, in all ways. When Robby shows up unexpected on Davis' doorstep, Robby's brash nature sparks conflicts amongst Davis' new circle spurring debates of race and class and forcing Davis to question who he has remade himself to be and where his loyalty lies.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

A LIFE EXTRA ORDINARY

Written by Melissa Ross

Directed by John Gawlik

The Gift Theatre, 4802 N. Milwaukee in Jefferson Park

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

Annabel Anderson McCafferty is an expectant mother who vanishes from her small Ohio town on Christmas Eve. Both mystery and memory play, A Life Extra Ordinary untangles and re-assembles the moments that make a life.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

CINDERELLA AT THE THEATER OF POTATOES 

Written by Andra Velis Simon

Based on Cendrillon and other compositions by Pauline Viardot-Garcia

Directed by Sean Graney

The Hypocrites at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Wicker Park

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

Adapted from Pauline Viardot-Garcia’s 1904 opera Cendrillon, and many of her other compositions, Andra Velis Simon’s musical-play is an elegantly irreverent exploration of the classic fairy tale. Here, Cinderella’s version of happily-ever-after does not include acceptance by the Prince. In the actor-as-orchestra style of The Hypocrites’ Gilbert & Sullivan opera work, Artistic Director Sean Graney directs this fun holiday-time show, perfect for the whole family. From the co-adapter of H.M.S. Pinafore and director of All Our Tragic.

Thursday, December 8, 2016

THE RIP NELSON HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 

Written by David Cerda

Directed by Steve Love

Hell in a Handbag Productions at Mary’s Attic, 5400 N. Clark St. in Andersonville

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

We close the year with an old friend and Handbag creation, Rip Nelson played by Handbag favorite, Ed Jones (think, the mutant love child of Paul Lynde, Rip Taylor and Charles Nelson Reilly) in The Rip Nelson Holiday Spectacular, a show that makes The Brady Bunch Variety Hour look like Citizen Kane.

It’s 1982 and a newly sober Rip (ensemble member Ed Jones) manages to land another TV special after the death of his arch-rival, Paul Lynde. Rip is determined to get his career back on track but can he handle the stress of a network television special and stay sober? Luckily he’s got help from a cavalcade of the hottest stars of 1982! Rip pulls every trick in the book to breathe some life in the dying variety series format and save his career but soon questions if his career is worth saving.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

MR. AND MRS. PENNYWORTH 

Written and Directed by Ensemble Member Doug Hara

Puppetry by Blair Thomas

Lookingglass Theatre Company, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Downtown Chicago

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

Traveling storytellers Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth captivate audiences with spell-binding tales. But one day, The Big Bad Wolf mysteriously dies before his story is complete. Fairytales disappear from the pages, characters are utterly forgotten, and Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth must journey through the stories to restore order before they are lost forever.

Written and directed by Ensemble Member Doug Hara, this world-premiere weaves an exceptional story of adventure, love, and unexpected endings. Influenced by Neil Gaiman and other fantasy writers, Mr. and Mrs. Pennyworth is brought to life through the wondrous puppetry of Blair Thomas and reveals the transformational power of storytelling.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

THE WOLF AT THE END OF THE BLOCK 

Written by Ike Holter

Featuring Ensemble Members Sandra Márquez and Gabe Ruíz

Teatro Vista at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. in Lincoln Park

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

Chicago. Fall. One night, a boarded up bar on the dark side of the block becomes a terrifying crime scene. In the following 48 hours, the neighborhood digs deep into escalating mystery, working against time to separate fact from fiction. But as the clock ticks down, the clues spiral into a razor sharp jigsaw, and what began as a simple mystery quickly twists into a personal, pointed and political thriller. The Wolf at The End of The Block is a full-length play with five characters, three of which are Latino. The play explores the issues of racial profiling, media manipulation and family relationships. Highly charged, Holter’s story is brutally raw, funny and deftly pierces universal truths.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

THE SNARE 

Written by Samantha Beach

Directed by Elana Boulos

Jackalope Theatre Company at the Broadway Armory, 5917 N. Broadway in Edgewater

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

Ruth is your average eighth-grader, keeping busy with basketball, preparing for her school’s Civil War Day, and trying to be more like her babysitter. One night, in the quiet of her bedroom, Ruth hears the voice of the devil, telling her to take action. Unprepared, Ruth’s pastor mom and family struggle to walk a path between pragmatism and faith. In this world premiere play about good vs. evil, and growing up, the question is: who will you believe?

Thursday, April 13, 2017

LINDA VISTA 

A world premiere by ensemble member Tracy Letts

Featuring ensemble members Ian Barford and Tim Hopper

Steppenwolf Theatre Company, 1650 N. Halsted in Lincoln Park

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

Wheeler is 50. His marriage is over, his job is mundane, and the best years of his life appear to be behind him. A move from the cot in his ex-wife’s garage to his own apartment opens up new possibilities for love and sex—complicated, painful and hilarious. Full of opinions, yet short on self-examination, Wheeler is a modern misanthrope who must reconcile the man he has become with the man he wants to be.

Tracy Letts is a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright, actor and member of the Steppenwolf ensemble. His works include August: Osage County, Superior Donuts, The Man from Nebraska, Killer Joe and Bug, among others. He is also known for his portrayal of Andrew Lockhart in Showtime's Homeland and can be seen in The Big Short and HBO’s Divorce. His play Mary Page Marlowe premiered at Steppenwolf, in March 2016.

Thursday, May 11, 2017

RELATIVITY

Written by Mark St. Germain

Directed by BJ Jones

Featuring Mike Nussbaum

Northlight Theatre at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie

Event details for this Theatre Thursday event will be announced closer to the date.

In 1902 Albert and Mileva Einstein had a baby daughter. After 1904 she was never seen or spoken of again. Forty years later, a reporter interviews Einstein about this mysterious piece of his past, revealing shocking secrets about his family and his personal life. While the reporter questions Einstein on his theory of relativity and his decisions, she also poses a query of her own: to be a great man, does one first need to be a good man?

The author of Freud’s Last Session and Becoming Dr. Ruth showcases his signature blend of insight, intellect, humor and heart in this fictional account of a legendary figure.

Please note that Theatre Thursdays event information and dates are subject to change.  Theatre Thursday events for June, July and August will be announced later in the year.

The 2016-2017 Theatre Thursdays sponsors are the Chicago Reader and Chicago Splash.

       

About Chicago theatre

Chicago theatre is a leader in the U.S. with more than 250 theatres throughout Chicagoland, comprising a rich and varied community ranging from storefront, non-union theaters to the most renowned resident theatres in the country, including 5 that have been honored with Regional Tony Awards, and the largest touring Broadway organization in the nation. Chicago’s theatres serve 5 million audience members annually and have a combined budget of more than $250 million. Chicago produces and/or presents more world premieres annually than any other city in the nation. In the 2014-2015 season, Chicago theatre companies produced more than 100 world premiere productions and adaptations. Each year, Chicago theatres send new work to resident theatres across the country, to Broadway, and around the world.

About the League of Chicago Theatres

The League of Chicago Theatres is an alliance of theatres which leverages its collective strength to promote, support, and advocate for Chicago's theatre industry locally, nationally, and internationally. The League of Chicago Theatres Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the art of theatre in the Chicago area through audience development and support services for theatres and theatre professionals.

Additional information about Theatre Thursdays is available at http://bit.ly/theatrethursdays.

For a comprehensive list of Chicago theatre productions, visit the League of Chicago Theatres website, ChicagoPlays.com.  Half-price tickets are available at HotTix.org or at one of three downtown locations.

TEATRO VISTA'S 2016-17 SEASON ANNOUNCED

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

NEW PLAYS BY MANDO ALVARADO,IKE HOLTER 

AND SANDRA DELGADO ON TAP FOR

TEATRO VISTA'S 2016-17 SEASON

CHICAGO'S #1 LATINO THEATER TO DEBUT PREMIERES OF 

MANDO ALVARADO'S PARACHUTE MEN, 

IKE HOLTER'S THE WOLF AT THE END OF THE BLOCK

AND SANDRA DELGADO'S LA HAVANA MADRID

Chicago can't get enough of Ike Holter, and we agree. He's the author of 3 recent hits, critically acclaimed Hit the Wall, Exit Strategy and Sender. Here at ChiIL Live Shows we can't wait to check out The Wolf at The End of The Block, commissioned by Teatro Vista!

We're not as familiar with the work of South Texas playwright Mando Alvarado, but we're bemused by the concept of Parachute Men. We're also willing to bet his dramatic comedy about three brothers who suck at being brothers, suck at love and suck at being men will absolutely not suck as a production.

Playwright Sandra Delgado and Teatro Vista were granted the prestigious Joyce Award to support the development of La Havana Madrid. We're quite excited to see this immersive documentary theatre experience which will feature a live band, and provide a theatrical, cinematic and musical history of Latino Caribbeans from mambo to salsa.

Teatro Vista 2016-17 playwrights 

Ike Holter, Mando Alvarado, and Sandra Delgado

Teatro Vista Executive Artistic Director Ricardo Gutiérrez and Managing Director  José Antonio Cruz announced three ambitious, exciting world premieres for Chicago's #1 Latino theater company's upcoming 2016-17 season.

Parachute Men by South Texas playwright Mando Alvarado lands first at the Richard Christiansen Theater at The Biograph at Victory Gardens Theater, where Teatro Vista is in residence. Ensemble member Tommy Rivera-Vega leads the cast in Alvarado's dramatic comedy about three brothers who suck at being brothers, suck at love and suck at being men. Gutiérrez directs. Previews start September 10. Press opening is Friday, September 16 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through October 16.

The Wolf at The End of The Block by Chicago playwright Ike Holter, commissioned by Teatro Vista, is the company's winter premiere. Ensemble members Sandra Márquez and Gabriel Ruíz lead the cast in Holter's highly-charged exploration of racial profiling, media manipulation and family relationships in Chicago. Holter is the red-hot author of the recent hits Hit the Wall, Exit Strategy and Sender. Previews start January 28. Press opening is Friday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through March 5.

Teatro Vista's season finale is the world premiere of La Havana Madrid, a theatrical, cinematic and musical history of Latino Caribbeans in Chicago by ensemble member Sandra Delgado. Fellow ensemble member Cheryl Lynn Bruce directs Delgado's immersive documentary theater experience, complete with live music, based on the true story of the 1960's Chicago nightclub, La Habana Madrid. Previews begin April 14. Press opening is Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. Performances run through May 21.

Single tickets to Teatro Vista's season go on sale August 1 via the Victory Gardens box office, (773) 871-3000 and online at teatrovista.org. Single tickets are $20-$35, with discounts for early bird purchasers, students, seniors and groups of 10 or more.

The Richard Christiansen Theater at the Biograph Theater at Victory Gardens Theater is located in the heart of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. Metered, street, nearby garage and valet parking is available.

The theater is also easily accessed on the CTA Red, Purple and Brown lines via the Fullerton stop. Likewise, the #8 Halsted and #74 Fullerton CTA buses stop at the corner of Fullerton and Halsted, just 1/2 block south of the theater. 

More about Teatro Vista's 2016-17 season

Parachute Men

A world premiere by Mando Alvarado

Directed by Teatro Vista Executive Artistic Director Ricardo Gutiérrez

Featuring ensemble member Tommy Rivera-Vega

September 10 - October 16, 2016

Previews: Saturday, September 10 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, September 11 at  3 p.m.; Wednesday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, September 15 at 7:30 p.m.

Opening/Press Night: Friday, September 16 at 7:30 p.m.

Performances through October 16: Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.

It's Christmas Eve. Three brothers - who suck at being brothers, suck at love and suck at being men - are reunited when the oldest, Eric, returns on the anniversary of their mother's death. After a few hours, it's clear that the pecking order has changed and the battle begins to see who can take that baby step into manhood first. 

Mando Alvarado (playwright) is an award-winning playwright/screenwriter from South Texas. His play Basilica premiered Off-Broadway at the famous Cherry Lane Theater in NYC. His play Post No Bills received its Off-Broadway premiere at Rattlestick Playwright's Theater. His new play, Diablo Love, had its world premiere at Central Park's Summer Stages, which also produced Alvarado's A King of Infinite Space, a Hamlet/Pearl Jam mash-up and Sangre, an adaptation of Blood Wedding. He also co-wrote the book for the bilingual musical A Yellow Brick Road, an adaptation of Wizard of Oz for Theatreworks USA which received its critically acclaimed Off-Broadway premiere at The Lortel. His short play, Up the 405, premiered as a part of LA Views for Company of Angels in Los Angeles. He is a contributing writer for Theater 167's You Are Now the Owner of This Suitcase. He also participated in the Freight Project where he developed his play (O)n THE 5:31 which was commissioned for Rising  Phoenix Rep's Cino Nights at the Seventh Street Small Stage. His first feature film, Cruzando, which he co-wrote and co-directed with Michael Ray Escamilla is available on DVD and was distributed by Vanguard Cinema. He is a member of Rising Phoenix Rep, alum of INTAR's Hispanic-Playwright-in-Residence Laboratory 2006-08, and a graduate of The University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He worked on Tyrant for FX and is currently working on Greenleaf  for the OWN Network.

Ricardo Gutiérrez (director) is the Executive Artistic Director of Teatro Vista where he recently directed In The Time of the Butterflies. Other Teatro Vista directing credits include Between You, Me and The Lampshade, A View From The Bridge, Momma's Boyz, i put the fear of mexico in'em, and La Mágica posada. Gutiérrez served as the artistic director of Nosotros in Los Angeles and The Canterbury Theatre in Indiana. He is the co-founder of the Alliance of Latino Theatre Artists Chicago (ALTAchicago) a service organization dedicated to promoting and fostering Latino/a theatre artists in Chicago. As an actor, Gutiérrez most recently appeared in In The Heights at The Paramount and in the world premieres of Song For The Disappeared and Fish Menat The Goodman. Later this year he will be appearing in Destiny of Desire at South Coast Repertory and at the Goodman Theatre. Gutiérrez has appeared on stage at the Actors Theatre in Louisville, The Denver Center Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens and Lookingglass Theatre. Recent television credits include Chicago PD, Sirens and Boss.

The Wolf at The End of The Block

A world premiere by Ike Holter

Commissioned by Teatro Vista

Featuring ensemble members Sandra Márquez and Gabriel Ruíz

January 28 - March 5

Previews: Saturday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday,

January 29 at 3 p.m. Wednesday, February 1 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Opening/Press Night: Friday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Performances through March 5: Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.

Chicago. Fall. One night, a boarded up bar on the dark side of the block becomes a terrifying crime scene. In the following 48 hours, the neighborhood digs deep into escalating mystery, working against time to separate fact from fiction. But as the clock ticks down, the clues spiral into a razor sharp jigsaw, and what began as a simple mystery quickly twists into a personal, pointed and political thriller.  

The Wolf at The End of The Block is a full-length play with five characters, three of which are Latino. The play is set in Chicago and explores the issues of racial profiling, media manipulation and family relationships. Highly charged, Holter's story is brutally raw, funny and deftly pierces universal truths.

Playwright Ike Holter's work has been produced at Steppenwolf Garage, A Red Orchid, The New Colony and The Inconvenience, where he is a founding member and resident writer. He's received fellowships and commissions from the Goodman Theater, the Kennedy Center and The Playwrights Center. His show Hit the Wall played at Steppenwolf Garage, Off-Broadway at The Barrow Street Theater in New York, and recently enjoyed and extended run at the Lily Tomlin Center in L.A.  Jackalope Theatre premiered his new play Exit Strategy which played to sold-out houses and transferred to Michigan's 3 Oaks Theater Festival. It is being produced at Philadelphia Stages and transferred Off Broadway to Primary Stages last spring. His most recent play Sender was a smash hit for A Red Orchid earlier this season. Holter was named the "Chicagoan of the Year" in Theater 2014" by the Chicago Tribune, and his  monologues have been published in The New Yorker  and several editions of Applause Books. He was recently named one of Victory Gardens' newest ensemble playwrights.

La Havana Madrid by ensemble member Sandra Delgado

Directed by ensemble member Cheryl Lynn Bruce

April 14 - May 21

Presented at a location TBA

Previews: Friday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 16, at 3 p.m.; Wednesday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Opening/Press Night: Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Performances through May 21: Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 3 p.m.

La Havana Madrid is an immersive documentary theatre experience inspired by the Latino Caribbean nightclub that once existed on the corner of Belmont and Sheffield. Audiences will be transported back to 1960s Chicago and experience the stories of the club's patrons and musicians complete with a live band chronicling the history of Caribbean Latino music through the decade from mambo to the birth of salsa.

Playwright Sandra Delgado and Teatro Vista were granted the prestigious Joyce Award to support the development of La Havana Madrid. Delgado is a Colombian-American actor, writer, and producer. Chicago acting credits include 2666, The Upstairs Concierge, Pedro Paramo (co-production with Cuba's Teatro Buendía), Chicago Boys, Mariela in the Desert, Electricidad, Zoot Suit, A Christmas Carol, El Nogalar and Massacre (Sing to Your Children) at The Goodman Theatre; The Motherf**ker with the Hat, The House on Mango Street, Sonia Flew, Words on Fire and Whispering City at Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Mojada and Anna in the Tropics at Victory Gardens Theater; Dreamlandia, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and Two Sisters and a Piano (co-production with Apple Tree Theatre) with Teatro Vista; Guinea Pig Solo, Refuge and Casanova with Collaboraction;  Summertime at Lookingglass Theatre Company; Undone at About Face Theatre and  Esperanza Rising and If All the World Were Paper with Chicago Children's Theatre. Off-Broadway credits include points of departure at INTAR Theatre. Regionally, she has appeared in Ground and Wit at Actors Theatre of Louisville and The Winter's Tale at Missouri Repertory Theatre. TV credits include Empire, Chicago Fire, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Betrayal, Mind Games and the TV movie POWERS. Delgado is an ensemble member of Collaboraction and Teatro Vista and serves on the National Steering Committee for the Latina/o Theatre Commons, an advocacy group for Latino theater artists. She is a TCG Young Leader of Color Alum, a Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events grantee and a 3Arts 3AP Project Grantee. She was the TCG Fox Actor Fellow in residence at the Goodman Theatre (2011-12) and was a member of their Playwright's Unit for the 2015-2016 season. sandradelgado.net

Cheryl Lynn Bruce

Cheryl Lynn Bruce (director) is a Teatro Vista ensemble member. She served as Assistant Director of the company's productions of Tamer of Horses and A View From the Bridge. She has performed on stages across the country as well as in Europe and Mexico, and created the role of Elizabeth Sandry for Steppenwolf's Tony Award-winning production of The Grapes of Wrath, adapted and directed by Frank Galati for Broadway's Cort Theatre, Britain's National Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse. Bruce also workshopped and premiered in RACE, Lookingglass Theatre's inaugural production directed by David Schwimmer and Joy Gregory. Bruce received a 3Arts Award (2010), a 3Arts fellowship to support a five-weeklong Rauschenberg residency (2015), a Jane Addams Hull House Association's Woman of Valor Award (2010) and a Yale Research Residency (2011). She was awarded the 2002 African American Arts Alliance Black Excellence Award and Black Theatre Alliance Award for Outstanding Direction of Endesha Ida Mae Holland's From The Mississippi Delta at Congo Square Theater. Other directing credits include Resurrection by Daniel Beaty and Drip by Gloria Bond Clunie at eta Creative Arts Foundation, Milkweed: A Solo Play by Misty De Berry for Columbia College at Links Hall and Northwestern University, Spunk by Zora Neale Hurston at University of Illinois at Chicago and Congo Square Theater, Cage Rhythm by Kia Korthron for University of Illinois at Chicago and Theatre School at DePaul University, and Permanent Collection by Thomas Gibbons for Indiana University Northwest. In 2006 she was an Inaugural Fellow of the Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media at Columbia College. In 2007 Bruce traveled to Japan to study Bunraku puppetry for her staging of Rythm Mastr, Kerry James Marshall's urban comic which premiered at the Wexner Center for the Arts.

About Teatro Vista

Teatro Vista, Theatre with a View, is firmly committed to sharing and celebrating the riches of Latino culture with Chicago theater audiences and beyond. This commitment stems from the belief that there are as many similarities between people as there are differences, and perhaps the answer to breaking down the walls of prejudice and stereotypes lies in understanding these similarities and differences. Ultimately, it is through this "view" that Teatro Vista intends to bridge the gap between Latino and non-Latino cultures in Chicago.

Teatro Vista, founded in 1990 by Eddie Torres and Henry Godinez, is the vanguard of Latino theatre in the United States, a place where Latino and non-Latino artists can expressively flourish and excel to the highest level of theatrical professionalism. The company believes in the transformative power of theater, inclusiveness through the idea that everyone is intricately connected to each other and that sharing stories through performance is an exceptionally potent way to bring people together. It is dedicated to sharing new work by new playwrights in cutting-edge productions and presenting classic plays featuring artists of color.

José Antonio Cruz joined Teatro Vista as Managing Director in June, 2015. Cruz has a Master's Degree in Arts Administration from New York University. Before joining Teatro Vista, he worked for twelve years as Associate Producer for New York's renowned Repertorio Español. During his time at Repertorio Español, Cruz championed the

company's mission of presenting the best of Latin American, Spanish and Hispanic-American culture through the production of numerous plays and musicals. In this role, Cruz devised strategies that resulted in dramatic increases in earned and contributed revenues. Cruz has served on peer review panels for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of New York, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and Theater Communications Group. In 2010, he traveled to Bogotá, Colombia as part of the U.S. delegation to the Iberoamerican Theatre Festival.

In addition Executive Artistic Director Ricardo Gutiérrez,Teatro Vista ensemble members include Charín Álvarez, Max Arciniega, Desmín Borges, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Ramón Camín, Ivonne Coll, Laura Dahl, Sandra Delgado, Liza Fernández, Khanisha Foster, Erik Juárez, Jon Lyon, Sandra Márquez, Joe Minoso, Marcela Muñóz, Christina Nieves, Marvin Quijada, Tommy Rivera-Vega, Gabriel Ruíz, Cecilia Suarez and co-founder Edward Torres.

Teatro Vista's Board of Directors includes Ezequiel "Zeek" Agosto, President; Rodrigo Garcia and Rosanna Marquez, Vice Presidents; Joan Pantsios, Secretary; Tom Vega-Byrnes, Treasurer; and Bhuvana Badrinathan, José Antonio Cruz, Edgar Delgado, Ricardo Gutiérrez and Yvonne Hardy.

Teatro Vista is supported by The Joyce Foundation, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Shubert Foundation and The  Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly

Foundation.

Purple Group is Teatro Vista's Headline Season Sponsor.

Teatro Vista is a Victory Gardens Resident Theater.

For more information, visit teatrovista.org.

OPENING: Teatro Vista's Between You, Me and The Lampshade at Victory Gardens #Chicago #Theatre

Chi, IL Live Shows On Our Radar

TEATRO VISTA PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF

BETWEEN YOU, ME AND THE LAMPSHADE

BY RAUL CASTILLO OF HBO’S LOOKING AT

THE RICHARD CHRISTIANSEN THEATER AT THE VICTORY GARDENS BIOGRAPH THEATER, 

APRIL 11 – MAY 10

Teatro Vista Executive Artistic Director Ricardo Gutierrez Directs 

this Hilarious and Searing Production

Teatro Vista presents the World Premiere of Raúl Castillo’s Between You, Me and the Lampshade, directed by Teatro Vista Executive Artistic Director Ricardo Gutierrez, at The Richard Christiansen Theater at The Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., April 11 – May 10. Preview performances are Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, April 12 at 3 p.m. and Tuesday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. Opening/Press night is Wednesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.  Regular performances are Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Preview performances are $20, regular run weeknight and matinee performances are $25 and Saturday night performances are $30. Half-price student rush tickets are available 30 minutes prior to each performance with valid I.D. Discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more and seniors (65+) with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the Victory Gardens box office at 773.871.3000 or by visiting www.victorygardens.org. For more information on Between You, Me and the Lampshade and Teatro Vista, please visit www.teatrovista.org. 

Note: There is an added 3 p.m. matinee performance on Saturday, May 9.

In Between You, Me and the Lampshade the lives of Jesse, a single mother (Sandra Marquez), and her teenage son (Tommy Rivera-Vega) are turned upside down one night when a wounded, undocumented immigrant (Ayssette Muñoz) breaks into their trailer home in rural South Texas. As Jesse covertly takes in the immigrant, she has to go to increasingly complicated lengths to hide her secret from the various people in her life, including a border protection agent (Jim Farruggio) with a crush and her web-addicted teenage son. Hilarious and searing, this play examines the consequences of secrets.

The cast for Between You, Me and the Lampshade includes: Sandra Marquez^* (Jesse), Tommy Rivera-Vega* (Woody), Steve Casillas+ (Meme), Ayssette Munoz+ (Amparo), Jim Farruggio^  (Max) and Bryce Gangel (Kristen).

The production team for Between You, Me and the Lampshade includes:  Ricardo Gutierrez* (Director), Stephanie Hurovitz^ (Stage Manager), Jennifer Aparicio+ (Production Manager), Jose Manuel Diaz (Scenic Designer) and Christine Pascaul+ (Costume Designer)

^ denotes member of Actor’s Equity Association, * denotes Teatro Vista Ensemble Member,

+ denotes Teatro Vista Artistic Associate

ABOUT PLAYWRIGHT RAÚL CASTILLO

Raúl Castillo was born and raised in McAllen, TX, with family ties in neighboring Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico.  A graduate of Boston University’s School for the Arts, his play Knives and Other Sharp Objects had its premiere at the Public Theater in March 2009 where he was a member of the initial Emerging Writers Group.  He is also a proud member of LAByrinth Theater Company, with whom he has developed Between You, Me and the Lampshade, City of Palms and Bus Accident Play. 

His one-act play, The Biggest Asshole Ever Born, premiered at Intar Theater as part of One Night in the Valley; Four Plays by South Texas Writers.  Another one-act, Death on my Mind, is published by Dramatic Publishing Best Student One-Acts, Vol. 5. 

Coming up, he is developing a script for the Museum of Man/La Jolla Playhouse Border Crossings project at Balboa Park in San Diego.  As an actor, you can see him as a series regular on HBO’s Looking. Theatre credits include Fish Men (Goodman Theater), A Lifetime Burning (Primary Stages), School of the Americas (LAByrinth/Public), and Open House (Foundry Theatre). His film credits include My Best Day, The Girl, Bless Me, Ultima, Cold Weather, Don't Let Me Drown and Amexicano. 

           

ABOUT DIRECTOR RICARDO GUTIERREZ

Ricardo Gutierrez is the executive artistic director of Teatro Vista where he recently directed the Jeff nominated production of A View From the Bridge. For Teatro Vista, he has also directed Momma’s Boyz, i put the fear of mexico in ’em, and La Magica Posada.  Gutierrez has served as the artistic director of Nostotros in Los Angeles, The Canterbury Theatre in Indiana, and Absolute Shakespeare in Chicago.  Regionally, Ricardo has guest directed at Theatre 40, Nosotros, the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, The Double Image Theatre, Loyola University and the University of Texas Pan Am.  Gutierrez is the co-founder and director of the Alliance of Latino Theatre Artists Chicago (ALTAchicago), a service organization dedicated to promoting and fostering Latino/a theatre artists in Chicago. As an actor, Gutierrez most recently appeared in the world premiere of The Upstairs Concierge at the Goodman Theatre where he was also recently seen in the world premieres of Song For The Disappeared and Fishmen. Gutierrez has appeared on stage at the Actors Theatre in Louisville, The Denver Center Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, and at Lookingglass Theatre.

ABOUT TEATRO VISTA

Teatro Vista, Theatre with a View, is firmly committed to sharing and celebrating the riches of Latino culture with Chicago theater audiences and beyond.

This commitment stems from the belief that there are as many similarities between people as there are differences, and perhaps the answer to breaking down the walls of prejudice and stereotypes lies in understanding these similarities and differences. Ultimately, it is through this “view” that Teatro Vista intends to bridge the gap between Latino and non-Latino cultures in Chicago.

The company believes in the transformative power of theater, inclusiveness through the idea that everyone is intricately connected to each other and that sharing stories through performance is an exceptionally potent way to bring people together.

Teatro Vista is the vanguard of Latino theatre in the United States, a place where Latino and non-Latino artists can expressively flourish and excel to the highest level of theatrical professionalism. It is dedicated to sharing new work by new playwrights in cutting-edge productions and presenting classic plays featuring artists of color.

Teatro Vista presents the World Premiere of Raúl Castillo’s Between You, Me and the Lampshade, directed by Teatro Vista Executive Artistic Director Ricardo Gutierrez, at The Richard Christiansen Theater at The Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., April 11 – May 10. .Preview performances are Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, April 12 at 3 p.m. and Tuesday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. Opening/Press night is Wednesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.  Regular performances are Thursdays – Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Note: There is an added 3 p.m. matinee performance on Saturday, May 9. Preview performances are $20, regular run weeknight and matinee performances are $25 and Saturday night performances are $30. Half-price student rush tickets are available 30 minutes prior to each performance with valid I.D. Discounts are also available for groups of 10 or more and seniors (65+) with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the Victory Gardens box office at 773.871.3000 or by visiting www.victorygardens.org. For more information on Between You, Me and the Lampshade and Teatro Vista, please visit www.teatrovista.org. 

ACT OUT: Victory Gardens Appropriate On Sale This Friday and Resident Theater Teatro Vista's White Tie Ball Now Playing #ticketdiscount

APPROPRIATE ON SALE Appropriate will officially go on sale to the general public this Friday at 12:00pm. Don't miss this world premiere production directed by critically acclaimed director Gary Griffin (Sunday in the Park with George and Follies at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre). Be one of the first audiences to see Appropriate before it reaches New York's Signature Theatre later in this winter! Here at ChiIL Live Shows we adored the finely crafted, visually stunning Sunday in the Park with George at Chicago Shakespeare and had fun playing with the "living mural" in the lobby too!  We've been consistently impressed with the world class offerings at Victory Gardens over the years and 2013-14 is shaping up to be an exciting season.   Last night we were impressed with Teatro Vista's opening night of White Tie Ball.   We're happy to pass along what Victory Gardens has to offer. Recognize anyone? Co-World Premiere with Actor's Theatre of Louisville's Humana Festival APPROPRIATE by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins directed by Gary Griffin Nov. 8 - Dec. 8, 2013 TICKET ON SALE FRIDAY 20% OFF RESIDENT THEATER OFFER VG's inaugural Resident Theater season begins this week! Teatro Vista (co-producers of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity) present the world premiere of White Tie Ball by Chicago playwright Martín Zimmerman. You may remember Martín's play 7 Spots on the Sun that was workshopped at VG's IGNITION New Play Festival in 2012. 20% discount to any performances of White Tie Ball with code "VICTORY." This discount is good until Monday the 16th.  Victory Gardens Subscribers receive 20% off all Resident Theater performances- visit our website to purchase a Subscription today. Come experience the first of many Resident Theater productions at our Lincoln Avenue space this year! Sideshow Theatre is another Resident Theater with a show opening this week, their production of 9 Circles is running until October 6 at the DCASE Storefront Theatre. A full calendar of resident performances is available on our website. TEATRO VISTA presents: WHITE TIE BALL by Martin Zimmerman directed by Edward Torres Sept. 6 - Oct. 13, 2013 SIDESHOW THEATRE presents 9 CIRCLES by Bill Cain directed by Marti Lyons Aug. 29 - Oct. 6, 2013 Through our Resident Theater Program, Victory Gardens aims to share our resources to incubate and nurture existing storefront theaters in Chicago. During their residency, Victory Gardens will give each company a physical and artistic home to further its art, develop its audience base and fully realize the next phases of its own organizational plan.

ACT OUT OPENING: White Tie Ball at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater Now Through October 13th

TEATRO VISTA LAUNCHES VICTORY GARDENS RESIDENCY WITH WORLD PREMIERE OF MARTÍN ZIMMERMAN'S WHITE TIE BALL, THE STORY OF TWO BROTHERS - ONE EASILY IDENTIFIED AS LATINO, ANOTHER WHO ISN'T - NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 13, 2013    ChiIL Live Shows will be there tonight for the press opening and we'll have a full review up shortly.   Teatro Vista's high caliber, multicultural offerings are a true local treasure.   Don't miss this world premier. Gabriel Ruiz is Edward and Nate Santana plays Beto in White Tie Ball Teatro Vista, Chicago's largest non-profit Equity Latino theater company, will launch the company's first season as a resident company at Victory Gardens Theater with the world premiere of White Tie Ball, Martín Zimmerman's new play about two brothers, one easily identified as Latino, another who isn't, and the moral and emotional dilemmas they find themselves in.  Teatro Vista co-founder Edward Torres, fresh from his acclaimed world premiere staging of Quiara Alegría Hudes' The Happiest Songs Play Last this spring at Goodman Theatre, will direct. White Tie Ball will star Teatro Vista Ensemble members Marvin Quijada and Gabriel Ruiz, along with Jan Radcliff and Nate Santana. Designers include Collette Pollard (set), Christine Pascual (costumes) and Jesse Klug (lights).      White Tall Ball opens Tuesday, September 10 at 7:30 p.m. in Victory Gardens' 109-seat Richard Christiansen Theater.  Performance times through October 13 are Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m.  All tickets are $25. For tickets and information, call the Victory Gardens box office, 773.871.3000, or purchase online at  victorygardens.org. White Tie Ball is the first of two shows Teatro Vista will present during the company's 2013-2014 residency at Victory Gardens. Next spring, Teatro Vista will stage a revival of Arthur Miller's classic A View from the Bridge, April 11-May 18, 2014. The production will feature an all-Latino cast, including Teatro Vista ensemble members Ricardo Gutierrez, Christina Nieves and Sandra Marquez. The ideal way to support professional Latino theater in Chicago is to purchase a Teatro Vista 2013-2014 Season Pass, guaranteeing the best seats at the lowest price - only $45 for two shows.  To purchase a Teatro Vista Season Pass online at teatrovista.org. Victory Gardens is located in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue. Metered, street, nearby garage and occasional valet parking is available. The theater is easily accessed via the CTA Red, Purple and Brown lines (Fullerton stop), and the #8 Halsted and #74 Fullerton CTA buses.